04/17/2026
It was a lot of years before there were but a handful of $200K houses in the Magic Valley. Now that number appears to be the entry level home, and I have inspected quite a few of them lately.
I look at the financing stats on that amount of money, and see something like $48K down and 1300 per month for 30 years. I'm not trying to be a crusader, your parent, or your financial coach, but I will say this: Do NOT get so excited that you qualified for a home loan, and will no longer be renting, that you skip the Home Inspection. Paint, LVP flooring, and Lowe's cabinets do nothing for the major systems and components of the home, which are largely out of view during a virtual, or in person walk through. Here are a few visual examples of what I am taking about.
This post is, in no way, intended to point blame at anyone in particular. Just that the law of supply and demand have driven prices of even the most basic of dwellings to a serious level and that repairs are not included in the mortgage payment.